Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, whose father was a bomber pilot in WWII, thanked the veterans for their service. On May 8, 1945, WWII allies accepted the surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany, ending the war in Europe.

“You all fought so that we can have the freedoms that we have today,” he said. “To all of you, in the greatest generation, thank you for what you do.”

Several of the veterans being honored were members of the Tuskegee Airmen, Birdwell said. One legislator, Sen. Dan Patrick, asked a veteran if he’d seen the 2012 blockbuster movie that featured the airmen, ”Red Tails;” the veteran responded, “I was in that movie.”